Festival Line-Up

Cead Mile Failte

One Hundred Thousand Welcomes… Join us on March 22-23, 2024 for performances by…

Headline Performers

S K E R R Y V O R E

FRIDAY MARCH 22nd

8:00pm

Over the last 16 years, Skerryvore have brought their performances to audiences across the globe, from their early days in Scottish West Coast halls and bars, to Festival crowds in USA, Canada, Australia and throughout the UK and Europe. Picking up Scottish music’s ‘Live Act of the Year’ twice on the way – the band’s wide range of influences and talent produce a musically expansive, high energy set that excites and captivates audiences. Their 6 studio albums demonstrate the wide range of influences the individual musicians bring to the mix – a unique fusion of folk, trad, rock and pop.
The impact of the Covid-19 crisis decimated the band’s touring and performing calendar for 2020, and well into 2021. During this time Skerryvore explored and developed alternative performance possibilities, including live streaming and virtual performances that connected them with 28 countries worldwide and over 30,000 viewers. The band’s lockdown single, ‘Everyday Heroes,’ recorded from home, and aided by a variety of musicians from across the country, achieved the band’s first Official Charts No.1 in Scotland and, so far, has raised several thousands of pounds for NHS staff charities.
In January 2021, Skerryvore were selected for the BBC Radio 2 Playlist for 6 consecutive weeks with their song ‘You&I’, progressing from the C list up to the prestigious A List due the the amazing response from listeners. Multiple daily plays and a great response from the presenters, has seen Skerryvore reach a whole new fanbase. This success was followed by a second BBC Radio 2 playlist for their summer single ‘Together Again’ in July 2021

Skerryvore create a unique feel good, folk-fusion sound that has enabled the band to break ‘traditional boundaries’ both nationally and internationally with performances in over 30 countries worldwide.

AOIFE SCOTT BAND

SATURDAY MARCH 23rd

6:00pm

Aoife Scott is an acclaimed folk singer and songwriter hailing from Dublin, Ireland. With her soulful vocals and evocative storytelling, she has captured the hearts of audiences around the world. Born into a renowned musical family, Aoife’s upbringing immersed her in the rich traditions of Irish music. She seamlessly blends elements of folk, traditional, and contemporary styles to create a sound that is uniquely her own. Her music is a heartfelt reflection of her experiences, exploring themes of love, resilience, and social justice. Aoife’s passion for her craft and her dedication to authenticity have earned her critical acclaim and a loyal following. With each performance, she mesmerizes listeners with her raw talent and emotional depth, solidifying her place as a rising star in the folk music scene.

Seamus Egan Project

SATURDAY MARCH 23rd
8:00pm

It’s hard to think of an artist in traditional Irish music more influential than Seamus Egan. From his beginnings as a teen prodigy, to his founding of Irish-American powerhouse band Solas in 1996, to his current work as one of the leading composers and interpreters of the tradition, Egan has inspired multiple generations of musicians and helped define the sound of Irish music today.

In 2018, with Solas on hiatus, Egan began touring as a solo performer, bringing along friends and musical guests, and making music as Seamus Egan Project that points towards the origins of Solas in the 1990s. In 2020, he released Early Bright hailed as “A perfect balance of energetic and wistful, modern and traditional, Early Bright finds Egan weaving all his disparate musical strands into an emotionally powerful whole.” – Acoustic Guitar

Regional Performers

Salt Lake Scots Pipe Band

Organized in 1962, The Salt Lake Scots Pipe Band has been entertaining crowds for more than 60 years. They celebrate a rich history as the oldest bagpipe band in the state of Utah in continual existence. Over the last half century the band has appeared in the United Artist’s WWII film, The Devil’s Brigade (1968), They were the official pipe band of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games where they led the competitors of the curling events onto the ice before each round of competition. That year Scotland claimed the gold medal and gave a nod to the band as having been their “secret weapon.” The Salt Lake Scots have performed with the Chieftains, the Utah Symphony, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, among many others. It has been their honor to perform for heads of state and visiting dignitaries proudly preserving the highland traditions and keeping their cultural heritage alive in the Great Basin of the western United States.

The band is currently under the direction of Pipe Major Christopher Johnson and Drum Sergeant Jessi Frye.

Avourneen

Avourneen, a Denver-based trio that specializes in Irish folk, doesn’t have direct geographic ties to Ireland. The band is composed of guitarist/vocalist Adam Goldstein, a Denver native; violinist CL Morden, an import from California; and Kenny Martinez, a longtime Colorado resident and talented bassist. Together, they play a brand of Celtic music that’s both timeless and innovative, a take on the genre the Celtic Connection calls “unique in Colorado – and perhaps in the country.”

The three members of Avourneen boast long résumés playing Irish, Scottish and Breton music. Before forming in 2014, Adam and CL were playing age-old tunes from Ireland professionally, while Kenny had built a vast repertoire of pop, jazz and folk music playing in a diverse set of bands. Goldstein (who claims the of moniker “Denver’s Favorite Irish Jew”) has long been a fixture at Denver’s Clocktower Cabaret and other local venues, where he plays Irish folk songs for the club’s popular burlesque and variety shows. Morden, a classically trained violinist who earned a bachelor’s from the prestigious Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, has experience as a member of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra and other orchestral ensembles. Martinez, meanwhile, is a veteran of area rock, pop and jazz bands.

It was the music of Ireland that brought the three together, and they’ve made impressive strides in their time together.

Katie Jane Band

The Katie Jane Band is a high-energy Celtic fiddle band from Portland, OR. Known as “Portland’s hottest fiddler,” Katie Jane’s dynamic performance features virtuosic, high-speed fiddling, her contagious smile, and unstoppable dancing feet. The Katie Jane Band performs traditional and original fiddle music spanning Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Canada, and the USA. Their music takes listeners on a joyful journey through the folklore of Celtic music, and their engaging storytelling relates the audience to the sweetness of everyday human experience.

Dunmore Lasses

The Dunmore Lasses is an Ogden-based group specializing in high-energy versions of traditional Irish/Scottish tunes. Sets include original material blended with custom arrangements of well-known Irish and Scottish folk tunes. The Lasses regularly perform throughout Utah at festivals and events such as the Peery’s Annual Celtic Celebration, have been featured in traditional Irish Podcasts, and have provided original music for local film projects.

The Reel Folk

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Wild Wing